SALEWA®: Pure Mountain, since 1935

Discover the SALEWA® brand

SALEWA®: The Brand’s Origins and History

The history of Salewa began on July 8, 1935, when Josef Liebhart, director of a Munich-based cooperative for saddlers and upholsterers, decided to establish a branch specializing in leather goods. The first few decades saw the introduction of backpacks, leather balls, and hazelnut wood ski poles—sturdy products that laid the foundation for solid artisanal expertise.

In 1990, Salewa was acquired by Heiner Oberrauch and joined the Oberalp Group. The headquarters were moved to Bolzano, in the heart of the Dolomites, a symbolic location that perfectly embodies the brand’s Alpine identity. It is there, in the shadow of Europe’s most beautiful mountain faces, that all its products are designed today.

Did you know?

Josef Liebhart named his new company after the German acronym for his first products: “SaLeWa.” The name has endured to this day, while the products sold have become increasingly diverse and of higher quality over the decades.

Product Development and Innovations at SALEWA®

It was in 1955 that the brand truly established itself in mountaineering by sponsoring an expedition to the Cordillera Blanca. With the development of lightweight, fully adjustable crampons and the tubular ice screw, SALEWA positioned itself as a pioneer in mountaineering equipment. These two products remain the brand’s flagship items to this day.

A close collaboration with Reinhold Messner and Kurt Albert allowed the company to test numerous ideas and innovations directly on expeditions. This culture of field testing—trying out products on the highest peaks before selling them—remains the brand’s DNA.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Salewa focused on a clear goal: half weight, double resistance. The Helium helmet (1994), the lightest on the market at the time of its release, is a perfect illustration of this.

In 2011, Pomoca, the leading Swiss manufacturer of ski touring skins, joined the group, reinforcing Salewa’s role as the benchmark brand for winter mountaineering. The following year, Wild Country, a British climbing specialist, also joined the group.

Products offered by the SALEWA® brand

Today, Salewa offers clothing, footwear, and equipment designed with aesthetics, respect for nature, and the user experience in mind.

The range is organized around major themed collections:

• Ortles for high-altitude mountaineering (Gore-Tex® jackets, crampons, ice axes, mountaineering boots),
• Puez for hiking and trekking (backpacks, tents, versatile clothing, shoes),
• Pedroc for fast hiking and trail running,
• NXT for light summer outings.

Tirolwool® Responsive technology, integrated since 2017, uses wool from Tyrolean mountain sheep as a natural insulator to replace synthetic alternatives. Alpine Hemp technology, developed by the brand, has been available since 2018 for products that are durable, breathable, and environmentally friendly.

SALEWA®’s commitment to environmental responsibility

With a strong commitment to social and environmental policies, the SALEWA brand meets the most demanding criteria of recognized labels. The Fair Wear Foundation label guarantees social responsibility, while certifications such as Bluesign ensure environmental commitment.

In 2024, with the WE_AR* NATURE campaign, Salewa reinforces its message: the collections combine natural materials, innovative design, and alpine inspiration, always guided by the philosophy “Wear Nature, We are Nature.”